Seasons
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.
Autumn
Summary: As the dried leaves slowly fall to give way to new life, the barriers that cover his secluded heart falls, giving way to something he never expected.
A/N: Sorry for the rather late update… --;; I was supposed to update yesterday night but my modem wouldn't let me connect ;; I really have troubles predicting my modem's err… feelings…? Oo;; Anyway, here are my messages to the reviewers XD Arigato by the way!
Ashly – NOT FOUL! I like cliffhangers XD and the loveded thing scares me ;;
GoddessLD – Jun is quite cool XD I agree nods
Divine Wolf – Around 2-3 days last chapter, but most of the time, I calculate it'll take me 4-5 days for a chapter, since this one comes out 5 days after the second one o
Kaiyrah – Thanks XD I enjoy being Horo Horo in the RP as well No, I don't want to make Ren change his attitude, I like him that way XD but I don't know… maybe I'm doing it already without noticing [crosses fingers] I surely hope not. Yep, character cameos come from Naruto, can't help it, I love those guys. :P
Sailor Neo – If Ren cut his hair he wouldn't have his almighty weapon anymore! However, he will look good [drools] and yeah, Ren-kun is a pervert XD
DayDrEaMiNg-child – I like the part where Ren saves Pilica too XD
BubbleWheel, saber-kon and shaman7 – thanks for the review, here's the update XD
riyeth – Yeah L sadly, not everybody appreciates Ren x Pilica, but some do, right? J
Hinote Kitsune Nikore – Ren x Pilica is one of my favorites too XD and just read and find out what happens [wink]
review lord – yep, Ren-kun needs to get self-control
Warning: Major Ren x Pilica and some profanity maybe
He stood in front of her apartment building. He looked at it for a moment, eyeing the floor she and her brother resided in. Their window opened and he immediately turned away, not caring if it was Horo Horo or… her that opened the window.
He distanced himself from the siblings lately, especially HER. He was never really that close with her anyway. And after what happened two weeks ago, he couldn't bear face her. He couldn't just show up and get mutilated by her, because for sure, she looked as if she wanted to kill him during that time. One thing which he couldn't comprehend… it was only a kiss…
Why had he tried to kiss her anyway?
He didn't know… but he felt that even if he did had a choice to do it or not, since obviously he was in a hypnotized state, he would have still done the exact same thing, probably even more forceful.
He could remember her that night quite well, though he had no idea why nor did he ever want to keep it in mind, her lips… and how it… it enticed him. It tempted him, and so oblivious to what he was doing, he was leaning down to kiss her.
He continued his quick pace. He didn't know why SHE troubled him so much. He hated the idea that he was… he was… he was… what was happening to him? He hadn't realized it, but even though he was so burdened by it already, he didn't know WHAT it was. Could it be hormones? If so… he had to say his hormones had AWFUL taste. If it wasn't hormones, then… what is it?
What the hell is it?
He sighed, a few weeks ago, he would have told the world he would rather kill himself than ever think these thoughts… which made him wonder, why isn't he dead yet? He hated being like this, whatever it was. It made him feel weak, and Tao Ren was not weak, IS not weak and NEVER will be weak. It was just how the world was made so everybody should just accept that.
He was not one to wither so easily after facing a problem. He wouldn't be afraid of losing because he is confident of victory. He's not one to break down and cry. He is not one to be emotionally affected and cannot begin to think about certain loud-mouthed childish Ainu girls with sky blue hair, sparkling eyes and a cute pair of lips. Hell no!
Sadly though, the latter was eliminated; he is emotionally affected, even though it might me minuscule, he is. And definitely, he is thinking about that Ainu girl, not by will though, of course not, but because he simply CANNOT get his mind off her… and that fact, terribly bothered him.
He went into the park, as mentioned before, he liked the feel of autumn. He enjoys walking around the streets calmly, hands in his pockets, observing as the dried leaves fall and give way to new life. His hand managed its way to his cheek, and he remembered the slap given to him, as if it was still flesh…
"What happened?" Jun asked as she opened the door frantically, slightly shocked that Pilica was in Ren's room.
Ren couldn't find anything to say and remained silent not even leaving one of his usual sarcastic or rude comments, which probably everybody has gotten used to by now.. He just sat there, trying to find words to explain it to his sister what was the predicament he was in at that moment.
Pilica was speechless as well and didn't say a word about what had just happened. She just ran out off the room, back to the room in which Jun told her to stay in the first place.
"She doesn't seem to want to talk to you…" Jun noted.
Ren rolled his eyes, "I noticed that…"
"What did you do, Ren?" Jun asked, but in truth, she had quite some idea of what it was that had just conspired with her brother and their houseguest.
Ren shrugged, trying to make her feel as if nothing happened, "Nothing important…"
Jun arched an eyebrow, "I know you all too well for that Ren… but then again, you have been acting slightly different lately. Maybe it's the weather, but we have been through a lot of autumns before…"
Ren sighed, "Stop acting as if you don't know what happened onee-san, it's odd when you try to be all sly and cunning."
Jun laughed, "I never knew I freaked you out Ren… but really, you should learn that you should never let your hormones control you…"
"So… you're saying that's all hormones?" Ren asked trying to sound impassive about it, but in reality somehow relieved.
"No." Jun said plainly, "Much more than that Ren-kun, but I believe that's for me to KNOW and you to FIND OUT. It's much more fun that way." Jun giggled as she watched her brother look at her in confusion.
"At least onee-san, tell me one thing…" Ren sighed, rolling his eyes once more.
"What is it Ren-kun?" Jun smiled at her "adorable" little brother.
"Why are women so… well, weird?" Ren asked.
Jun laughed, "We're not… we're just unique." She said standing up and fixing her clothes well.
"Hn." Ren said turning away.
"Oh, and yeah…" Jun said remembering something.
"What is it—" Ren asked until cup of by a slap on the cheeks.
Jun winked at him, "You know mom always told us to respect the opposite sex, that's for disobeying mom, making Pilica-chan angry at you… and… hmm… calling women weird I guess. Because, if you forgot, I'm a woman Ren." She then left the room.
He opened his mouth to protest about to shout at his sister because of that slap. However, tonight was truly too much of a tiring night to argue with the goddamn door… too damn tiring…
"Are you alright Ren? You seem spaced out lately…" a laidback voice said, snapping him out of his trance. He entered the park moments ago, and sat on a bench underneath a tree. He knew there were probably dried leaves on his hair already.
He turned to his laidback friend, "What is it, Yoh?"
Yoh laughed and sat down beside Ren, he then reached to Ren's hair and brushed the leaves on his head away, "You looked funny with leaves on your head… I thought you wore clips or something from afar."
Ren turned away, slightly embarrassed, then asked, "What are you doing here and what do you want?"
Yoh shrugged, "Nothing much… today's a Saturday and Anna decided to give me a break, for a job well done in the week she says so I decided to walk around. I even managed to buy a new cd." He pointed to the plastic he was holding in his other hand. He looked much more relaxed than a few days ago, that's for sure.
"Anna gives breaks…?" Ren asked, amazed.
Yoh laughed, "Of course Anna does, what did you think?"
Ren rolled his eyes, "On how she acts? She doesn't seem like one who would in anything."
Yoh pouted, "Don't be mean to Anna!"
Ren laughed, quite emptily as usual, "Yeah, yeah… because you love her… right?"
"Yeah…" Yoh said quite easily. He was, after all, Anna Kyouyama's fiancé; he could say he loves her freely… Anyway, it was somehow required. However, he did not say that because of mere duty, he truly did love Anna Kyouyama, it could be read in his sincere eyes.
Ren was silenced for a moment. He liked silence, it was a close friend of his, next to sarcasm… Silence gave his time to think, to reflect, to hate… to feel.
"Recently…" Yoh began as Ren turned to face the brown-haired lad with slight interest, "You seem different."
Ren snorted, he had been getting that recently.
"It's not just the fact that you've been ignoring Horo Horo and Pilica-chan…" Yoh then added, "I can see it in your eyes… Usually, they're quiet, peaceful and reserved… but now, they're troubled. Also, I feel as if… as if… Nah," Yoh then said in realization, "It couldn't be…"
Ren arched an eyebrow, now completely interested in what Yoh was saying, "What is it, Yoh?"
Yoh laughed, "I know you'll say it sounds impossible, but I feel as if I'm seeing myself when I have problems with Anna. I actually thought for a moment… that you were in love."
Ren stared at Yoh blankly.
It couldn't be…
"I will never fall in love." A young boy said firmly to his elder sister as they sat, sprawled on their bed.
The elder sister held an expression of amusement, "And why is that Ren? I personally love the idea of me finding a knight in shining armor one day! He has to be strong, and handsome too…"
Ren rolled his eyes. "It's because if you fall in love, you become weak. Especially when the one you love rejects you!"
"Mom tell you that…?" Jun asked somehow surprised.
"No… but I got it from what she was saying a while ago…" the young boy had narrated to her what their mother told him moments ago.
"You have an odd way of interpreting things Ren-kun…" his elder sister noted as he gave a slight pout.
He rolled his eyes, "I'm just stating facts."
"You're too serious for a kid your age…" Jun said as she threw a pillow at the young boy's face.
Ren stuck his tongue out at his bigger sister, "Shut up nee-san. You're way too childish for a kid your age!"
His sister laughed, "At least I won't get wrinkles early… You on the other hand… you're hopeless my dear!"
Ren rolled his eyes, somewhat irritated by the childishness of his elder sister, when HE was more fitting to act that way. Well, not girlish… but… well, childish.
"But still Ren-kun…" Jun said after a moment of silence, "You shouldn't say that about love… Love brings out great things from people… Like otto-san for example… Mama did say he was worse before than now… right?"
Ren rolled his eyes, "He's still evil… and besides, how would you know? You never fell in love."
"I know…" Jun stated, "It's just that… It's just that… I have a feeling… I have a feeling that it is that way" she then laughed lightly, "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore…"
Ren stared at his sister for a few moments. She sounded somewhat convincing. He then opened his mouth, then said, "Ah…"
"I'm home…" Ren said as he entered his house that Pilica said looked like a palace. He was welcomed by nobody since it was the time of the day in which she and Pai Long would go and buy their groceries for the week. She enjoys shopping, not only for groceries, but for a lot more things… clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry and those other things Ren had labeled into "girly" things.
He immediately went to their refrigerator; he was still somewhat disturbed by his conversation with Yoh earlier, very much disturbed actually… He opened the grabbed the handle of the refrigerator and opened it with a bit of force. He took out his favorite drink, milk, and closed it once more.
He took off the cap of the bottle and began drinking its contents. He loved milk ever since he was a child, and it was not only because his grandmother had always told him milk would make his a tall boy. No, of course not… he wasn't tall at all. He was rather short actually, though he would kill anybody who would try to say that. However, he did SEEM tall, due to his wonderful, unique hairstyle.
There was a note taped on the fridge, nothing important. It just notified him that Jun went to buy groceries and that his lunch was already prepared and that he should just tell the cook when he was about to eat.
He made his way to the living room, and took the remote control. He sat down on their sofa and turned on the television, slumping his shoulders, trying to relax… but relaxation, at times of inner conflict such as now, was impossible. Whenever he had come close to relaxation, his mind would flash an image of her, which was what he described as a nuisance of everyday life.
He wasn't supposed to feel this way, ever since he was a child he had blocked any sort of emotion such as this from his heart. There was no way that a girl such as her would be able to crumble such defenses, no way whatsoever. It could never happen, in his entire lifespan… That was an impossibility.
However, as he began to think that more and more, he is convinced that he is just denying the truth, that she really is making the walls that cover his heart fall. Once again, he tried to shut that off his mind. That is impossibility, he had swore, ever since he was a child that he would never fall in love…
Wait…
Why is love entering the picture?
Surely, he is NOT falling in love with someone like her.
Definitely NOT
He swallowed down the remaining milk in the bottle, paling. His mind was growing crazier every moment and seemingly, he could not stop its insanity.
The door flung open and to his surprise three people had entered, Jun, Pai Long and… his mother, the beautiful and ever graceful Ran Tao.
He was shocked, his mother rarely visited them, she would usually stay by their father's side or playing mahjong with his grandparents and relative and all those other things Chinese women enjoy to do. She always thought that his two children were fit and able to do things by themselves, but that didn't mean she didn't love them. She loves them very much, especially her son, the heir to the Tao clan, Ren.
"Mama… what are you doing here?" Ren managed to say.
::Tsuzuku – to be continued::
A/N: Done! Contrary to the last chapter, this chapter is quite short and I'm not all that proud of this… I hate the overflowing projects and assignments we've been given ;; but don't worry, the next chapter will be out Wednesday or Thursday since beginning Wednesday, there will no longer be quizzes, just quarterly exam reviews . XD I hope I get good grades --;; or at least pass. ;; Anyway, Ren and Jun call Ren Tao (Mama) and En Tao (Papa) because that's how Chinese say it, that's how I call my parent's anyway and I'm Chinese-Filipino… XD I hope you enjoyed this nonetheless… R/R!